June 24, 2010

The DISCLOSE Act is the Democrats big legislative “fix” to pushback
against the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision that
eliminated a number of campaign finance restrictions on first amendment
grounds. It just passed the House this afternoon — even with 36
Democrats voting against it.

A Democratic amendment tucked into campaign finance legislation
Wednesday night also drew fire from Republicans and their allies, who
contend it gives special treatment to Democrat-allied labor unions. The
language in question would exempt from disclosure requirements
transfers of cash from dues-funded groups to their affiliates to pay for
certain election ads. It was inserted into the bill by Rep.
Robert Brady (D-Pa.), chairman of the House Administration Committee and
a big union backer.

Politico and others are reporting that the NRA has
reached a deal to withdraw its opposition to the bill in exchange for an
exemption for the NRA from its disclosure provisions. The exemption
would apply to “organizations
which have qualified as having tax
exempt status under section 501(c)(4) of the tax code for each of
the 10 years prior to making a campaign-related disbursement, that had 1
million or more dues-paying members in the prior calendar year, that
had members in each of the 50 states, that received no more than 15
percent of their total funding
from corporations or labor organizations, and that do
not use any corporate or union money to pay for their campaign-related
expenditures.”

Under the bill, all groups subject to the law’s requirements would
have to list all donors of $600 or more with the Federal Election
Commission (FEC). Groups must also post a hyperlink on their website to
the FEC, where a list of the names of their donors can be accessed.

Furthermore,
every time an organization runs a campaign ad, its CEO must appear in
the ad and twice state his name and the organization’s name. The
top five funders of the organization behind the ad – even if they had
nothing to do with the ad’s funding – must also have their names listed
in the ad.

In addition, the most “significant” donor to the
organization must list his name, rank, and organization three times in
the ad. Critics of the bill say that the disclaimers effectively consume
valuable air time bought by these groups that would otherwise be used
to inform voters about a candidate’s record.

The bill also effectively silences these organizations. So the influential, big money political donors get a free ride and the little guy gets a sock in his mouth.

Fortunately there is some hope for a return to sanity in the Senate:

Senator Mitch McConnell has signalled that Republicans would very
strongly oppose the measure. While no Senate Democrats have come out
opposing it, 10 of their number refused to co-sponsor the legislation (S
3295), sponsored by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), meaning some might
join a GOP filibuster.

The Democrats are going all in to try and hold on to their majority in Congress. These ridiculous, over-burdensome, unconstitutional restrictions on free speech are a means to an end and to the Democrats the ends always justify the means. And, not to be outdone in the whatever-it-takes-to-win department, Obama has a plan of his own, guaranteed to bring in the votes:

The Obama administration has been holding behind-the-scenes talks to
determine whether the Department of Homeland Security can unilaterally
grant legal status on a mass basis to illegal immigrants, a former Bush
administration official who spoke with at least three people involved in
those talks told FoxNews.com.

The issue was raised publicly by eight
Republican senators who wrote to the White House on Monday to complain
that they had heard the administration was readying a "Plan B" in case a
comprehensive immigration reform bill cannot win enough support to
clear Congress.

The White House would not confirm or deny
the claim. But the former Bush official said the discussions are real.

"The administration at the very minimum is
studying legal ways to legalize people without having to go through any
congressional debate about it," the source said, calling the senators'
claim credible. "Whether somebody pulls the trigger on that, that's
another issue."

I don't think Obama would hesitate pulling the trigger. The Democrats need the votes and he needs the Democrats. As an added bonus, he would no doubt take great pleasure in one-upping Governor Brewer by granting legal status to thousands of illegals in Arizona.

Twitter Updates

The Federalist Papers

Degree of Madness

"...... ambitious encroachments of the federal government, on the authority
of the State governments, would not excite the opposition of a single State,
or of a few States only. They would be signals of general alarm.....But what
DEGREE OF MADNESS could ever drive the federal government to such an
extremity."
Federalist #46 James Madison